Welcome to the breathtaking county of Dorset, nestled in the enchanting southwestern corner of England. Captivating landscapes, historic landmarks, and picturesque coastal towns await: Dorset offers an array of experiences that will delight every traveller. Whether you’re a family of avid nature lovers, history enthusiasts, or simply seeking a peaceful escape, this blog is your comprehensive guide to family-friendly things to do in South Dorset.
Spend the Day at a Blue Flag Beach
A Blue Flag is awarded to beaches in recognition of their high environmental and quality standards, making them some of the safest for swimming and playing in the sea. Dorset’s Jurassic Coast is actually home to fourteen Blue Flag beaches, thirteen of which are lifeguarded, so you’re spoilt for choice when searching for the perfect beach to spend a family day out.
The lifeguarded Blue Flag beaches of the Dorset Coast:
Poole:
Bournemouth:
Christchurch:
Other:
Explore Hengistbury Head
The sandy beaches of the Bournemouth area begin at Sandbanks and run for 9 miles before transitioning to the pebbles of Hengistbury Head, which juts out into the English Channel. With views across to the Isle of Wight, Hengistbury Head is well-known for its internationally important archaeology and geology – as well as the pricey but iconic beach huts which line Mudeford Sandbank. Spend a day on the beach, pop into the visitor centre, or take a walk through the heathland.
Stay five minutes from Hengistbury Head in a self-catering holiday apartment in Southbourne, complete with panoramic sea views.
Go back in time at the Dinosaur Museum
The Dinosaur Museum, Dorchester, transports visitors back in time to the prehistoric world of the dinosaurs. The entire museum is designed to be as engaging and hands-on as possible, allowing you to walk amongst life-size reconstructions, touch real fossils including dinosaur eggs and teeth, and make your own discoveries in the excavation pit!
Get Creative with Burngate Stone Carving
Have a go at relief carving on a slab of stone in Burngate Stone Centre’s family-friendly workshops. You’ll be provided with everything you need and your tutors will walk you through every step. Children over 8 can get involved in this unique activity.
Visit Kingston Lacy
Kingston Lacy House & Gardens, near Wimborne, features a historic and grand family home originally built to resemble a Venetian Palace. Take a tour of the beautiful house featuring remarkable paintings from renowned artists like Rubens and Van Dyck, then wander through the Japanese Garden to the Kitchen Garden and see why Queen Victoria once sent her own gardeners to gather inspiration.
Have an Aquatic Adventure at the Oceanarium
The Oceanarium is located next to Bournemouth Pier and is fantastic for children of all ages. They’re passionate about conservation and education, with the animals well cared for and regular talks held throughout the day. Visit their West African Dwarf Crocodile, say hello to their 10 playful Humboldt Penguins, and watch feeding time with the Southern Stingrays. The Oceanarium offers some incredible animal experiences, including the opportunity to feed the stingrays yourself, as well as Reef Sharks and turtles.
Tire out the kids at Lemur Landings Soft Play
Particularly perfect when you’re hit with a rainy day, Lemur Landings is located in Tower Park, Poole, and is one of Dorset’s largest soft play centres. With tunnels to navigate, bridges to cross and slides to speed down, it’s the perfect place for the kids to burn off that excess energy. There’s a separate area for under 8s, plus a Role Play Village complete with a police station, vet, school and fire station. The Jungle Cafe provides the perfect place for parents to relax and for the kids to eat after they’ve worked up an appetite.
Browse our self-catering accommodation in Parkstone.
Spend the Day Kayaking or Canoeing
Kayaking and canoeing both provide the opportunity to experience Dorset’s beautiful Jurassic Coast from the waves, and is ideal for families with children aged 8 and above. Local adventure company Land & Wave provide stunning kayaking tours of the Sandbanks peninsula or Swanage Bay, and Fore/Adventure take you around Old Harry Rocks.
Away from the waves, take a tour on a canoe along the River Brit in West Bay. With more room on the boats and calmer waters, the experience can be enjoyed by children as young as 4.
Truly immerse yourself in the area’s wildlife with a kayak wild food experience where you’ll learn how to forage, fish and feast from your kayak. Something your family will never forget!
Spend your holiday in the heart of Poole Harbour with our self-catering accommodation in Poole Quay.
Enjoy the Farmer Palmer’s Experience
A few miles west of Poole you’ll find the award-winning Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park which features a massive amount of indoor and outdoor activities including pedal go-karts, deer feeding, bouncy castles, tractor-trailer rides and soft play areas. Their range of animals include donkeys and ponies, guinea pigs and rabbits, alpacas, cows, sheep, pigs, birds and goats.
Journey along the Swanage Railway
Transport your family back in time with a train ride on the Swanage Railway, which operates full-size steam trains from Norden to Corfe Castle and down to Swanage. There are several stops with refreshment buffets and picnic tables along the way, making it the perfect activity for a day out with the family.
Go climbing at Rockreef
Rockreef is an indoor climbing activity centre, unique in that it’s situated on the end of Bournemouth Pier. 28 themed climbing walls will keep your family entertained, suitable for all ages and abilities. The centre also has the HighLine high ropes, the adrenaline-inducing Vertical Slide, and the outdoor PierZip, which takes you from the pier to the beach in one 250 metre swoop.
Visit Kingston Maurward
Kingston Maurward, near Dorchester, has 35 acres of beautifully restored gardens where you can enjoy lakeside walks and get up close with a range of animals including ferrets, guinea pigs, rabbits, turkeys, goats, sheep, hawks, owls, ducks and even Shetland Ponies. Learn about how Kingston Maurward is conserving animal heritage and stop off at the Barn & Cafe for a cup of tea and a sandwich. You can even bring your dog!
Have Flumin’ Great Fun at Splashdown
For an adrenaline-fueled day, take a trip to Splashdown located in Poole’s Tower Park complex, where more flumes await you than anywhere else in the South West. The park features 13 thrilling indoor and outdoor flume rides plus 3 splash zones for children under 5.
Slide down Infinity, which features a high speed drop, funky laser lights and a choice of music, or the aptly named Screamer which has you slide down 40 metres of flume in under 5 seconds! The Mississipi Drifter allows you to ride with friends as you tumble and twist through slides and whirlpools on an inflatable tyre, and the Red River Roller provides a more leisurely ride around 91 metres of slow twists and turns.
Learn to Paddle Board
Paddle boarding is the most relaxing way to explore the waves, with nothing more than a board and a paddle needed to get you gliding through the water. It’s a great way to exercise your core muscles, as well as to see some incredible wildlife. You can hire the equipment you need and set off, or embark on a tour of one of the many bays, coves and harbours of the Jurassic Coast. Weymouth Watersports offers tours of Fleet Lagoon and Portland Harbour, whilst The Watersports Academy takes you around Poole Harbour, the Sandbanks peninsula, and even Brownsea Island if the weather is good enough!
Spend your holiday with watersports at your fingertips with our self-catering holiday accommodation in Sandbanks.
Take a tour of Portland Castle
Portland Castle is located on the northern edge of the Isle of Portland, overlooking the harbour as it did nearly 500 years ago. Built in the time of Henry VIII to protect against French and Spanish invasion, the fort now provides a wonderful day out for families complete with an audio tour and visits to the Tudor kitchen, armoury and gun platforms.
Enjoy Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens
The 18th century Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, near Weymouth, is home to a range of rare plants due to its location in a sheltered valley near the coast creating the perfect microclimate. The thoughtful walking routes placed throughout the gardens allow you to fully immerse yourself in the nature surrounding you.
Try Your Hand at Surfing
It would be a shame not to take advantage of the idyllic beaches of the Dorset coast, and surfing is the perfect way to do that. There are loads of ideal surfing spots in the area – particularly near Kimmeridge on the Isle of Purbeck. However, Dorset’s only Surfing England Accredited surf school, Shaka Surf, is located on Branksome Dene, between Poole and Bournemouth. Ideal for those new to surfing, they offer lessons for adults and children aged 8 and above in a wonderful setting.
Meet the Primates at Monkey World
Located near Wareham, Monkey World is an ape rescue centre which has been rehabilitating primates who are victims of smuggling since 1987. The centre has an incredible array of over 250 animals including different species of chimpanzees, gibbons and orangutans. In fact, Monkey World is home to the largest group of chimpanzees outside of Africa. There are also three adventure playgrounds, regular keeper talks and several kiosks and cafes where you can buy refreshments.
Tire out the kids at Avon Heath Country Park
As Dorset’s largest country park, Avon Heath, near Ringwood, has a diverse range of habitats rich with wildlife. Visit their Wildlife Area to see birds, bees, bats, and even rare sand lizards. Their huge play area includes a zip wire, sand pit, trampoline, climbing wall and a treehouse! For food, visit their cafe, bring a picnic or hire one of the barbecues they have available.
Explore the Powerful Exhibitions at The Tank Museum
The Tank Museum brings the incredible stories of historical tanks and their crews to life, with the world’s best collection of tanks presented in a series of fascinating exhibitions. With over 300 military machines representing key battles of conflicts since World War One, this museum will immerse you in history, telling the powerful stories of soldiers throughout the last 100 years.
Go Bird Spotting at RSPB Arne
As a mix of healthland, woodland and coast, Arne is one of the RSPB’s flagship sites and packed full of incredible wildlife (including Spoonbills and Dartford Warbles) which you can see on one of the various family-friendly walking routes around the area. Once you’ve built up an appetite, stop off at the café.
Choose the perfect base to explore Dorset with our self-catering accommodation in Hamworthy.
Hit the Slopes at Snowtrax
Snowtrax is an alpine activity centre located in Christchurch, near Bournemouth. It’s suitable for all skill levels, whether you’ve never seen a pair of skis before or are looking to top up your snowboarding skills. The centre is totally family-friendly, with loads of fun, alpine activities suitable for all ages, as shown in the picture above!
Browse our self-catering cottages in Christchurch.
Take the ferry to Brownsea Island
As the largest island in Poole Harbour, Brownsea Island is full of incredible wildlife including red squirrels. Get the ferry over from Poole Quay or Sandbanks, enjoy a picnic or lunch at the Villano Café, and visit the birthplace of Scouting.
Explore the Woodland of Moors Valley Country Park
It’s easy to spend a whole day at this 800 acre forest about 20 minutes north of Bournemouth. Children can explore the unique pieces of wooden play equipment in the heart of the woodland along the Play Trail, Tree Top Trail and a handful of other play areas. Cycle, hike, fish and learn about the nature of the valley in the Ranger Den, play Laser Tag or try a Go Ape experience!
Have a Treetop Adventure with Go Ape
Try out a range of activities including the challenging Treetop Challenge which features five ziplines and the Nets Adventure which combines soft play and trampolining in the middle of the forest. There is also an hour-long Segway experience for those who’d rather stay on the ground, and versions of the Treetop Challenge created for children so everyone gets a go!
Attempt the Obstacles at Dorset Adventure Park
Ever fancied having a go at a giant inflatable course like on Total Wipeout or Ninja Warrior? Well, now you can! Dorset Adventure Park at Corfe Castle features an incredible waterpark with a range of obstacles designed to test your balance, speed and sliding abilities! It’s suitable for both adults and kids. If that’s not enough, they also have a mud trail which will have you crawling through muddy trenches and hoisting yourself over obstacles. A true test of endurance, and the perfect place to make lasting memories with the family.
Family Holidays in Dorset with Quay Holidays
Interested in visiting Dorset on your next family holiday? We know you’ll love it just as much as we do, and we’re here to help you every step of the way.
Our range of self-catering holiday properties in Poole and Bournemouth are each beautifully unique – whatever you’re looking for, we’re passionate about finding the perfect holiday property for you. From quaint cottages for small families to spacious, modern five-bedroom houses, we’re proud to offer a true home-from-home experience on Dorset’s stunning Jurassic Coast.
Based in Poole’s historic Old Town, we provide a comprehensive full-management service to ensure your holiday is as perfect as can be.
Browse our range of self-catering properties or get in touch with us to get started.